PES: Frequently Asked Questions

I'm coming to Stanford. Where could I get information?

Apart from this page, you can look the Information for the new Peruvian student page.

What's the weather like?

There are some wet and hot days in summer time, but usually it is a nice weather. In winter, however, it's cold and usually rainy; however, for someone from outside Lima looks like a normal winter. The temperature ranges are:

• Autumn: 10 C - 22 C
• Winter: 0 C - 15 C
• Spring: 10 C - 25 C
• Summer: 20 C - 35 C

You can check the weather forecast on CNN

Is it expensive to live in Stanford?

To live in Stanford and around (Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Mountain View) is quite expensive. You will need $1200 per month at least, just for surviving. If you want more information, you can have a look at International Graduate Student Orientation Handbook.

Shall I take money from my country to the United States?

It's not a very good idea to carry too much money in cash; the change you can get is not that good. The change for travelchecks is better. You can withdraw money from ATMs (Automatic Teller Machines), using VISA, Mastercard or American Express cards. They usually charge you a minimum percentage per withdrawal. So, it's worthy for you to withdraw bigger amounts in each transaction.

What about visas? Which one is the worthiest?

Students can hold either F-1 or J-1 visa. If you have any grant from government, international organization (OEA, BID, World Bank, etc.) or if you are a Fulbright scholar, you'll probably hold a J-1 visa. There are two differences between these two visas:

• If you hold a J-1 visa, your spouse could work in the USA. Anyway, he/she should obtain, first of all, the permission from INS, Immigration and Naturalization Service . If you hold a F-1 visa, your spouse will not be allowed to work.
• After having been student, holding a J-1 visa, you will have the right to work on "practical training" for 18 months. But you should receive the employer's offer in the first month after having finished your studies. In case you hold a F-1 visa you have right just for 12 months practical training, but you can receive the offer at anytime.

The visitors (postdocs, researchers or professors) always hold a J-1 visa. In case you want to work here (longer than the pratical training) or if you want to stay longer, you must get an H-1 visa, which allows you to work. In order to get it, you need be sponsored by a company or an institution. After having worked for them during two years you could ask for the Permanent Residence Card (Green Card). 

Do I need any health insurance?

Definitely, even if you are planning to stay here for a short while. The cost of medical care in the Stanford area is extremely high. One day in a hospital typically costs over $1,000. You may enroll the Stanford Cardinal Care Program or purchase any other insurance in U.S., but you must make sure the coverage your insurance is enough for the requirements your status asks.

Where could I buy kitchen supplies, furniture, general food, fruits and vegetables, PCs, TV, etc.?

If you want to buy your own brand-new furniture and kitchen supplies, you can go to Wal-Mart or Target in San Antonio Shopping Center, Mountain View. San Antonio Shopping Center is the last stop of the Shopping Express Line, the weekend service of Marguerite Stanford's free shuttle.

Almost-fresh fish, iced chicken and beef, vegetables, fruits, and general-brand food are available in Safeway (similar to Wong) and Albertson's (similar to Santa Isabel) also in San Antonio Shopping Center. Costco (similar to Metro) of 1000 North Rengstorff Ave, Mountain View (close to HW 101) is another option but there is no free shuttle to there and you need a US$ 50 annual subscription. Finally, for gourmet style, you can choose Andronico's (like an expensive Wong) in Stanford Shopping Center.

If you need to buy PCs, notebooks, TV, DVD player, stereos, VHS, PDA or other electronics stuff, Fry's Electronics (340 Portage Ave, Palo Alto. Four blocks away -to south- of California Ave. and El Camino Real) should be your option. But you can also check prices and brands in Wal-Mart of San Antonio Shopping Center.

Finally, you can buy (and sell) almost everything (from forks, spoons and trash cans to almost-new cars) of second-use in su.market, the Stanford's virtual market, or TheHappyZork.com, a virtual market.

What about Peruvian food (aji, rocoto, choclo, aceitunas, frejoles, ...)?

Good and bad news: take note. We can get most of the Peruvian food in the Mercados Latinos around Stanford, but fresh Aji and Rocoto are available only in Peru. However, we've found a good bottled and liquefied aji amarillo and rocoto in those places: just look for "Amazonas - Made in Peru" brand of products. You can also find there a bottle of pieced rocoto in salmuera (salty water) or a bottle of aceitunas botija of the same brand.

The nearest Mercados Latinos are located in:
* El Mercadito Latino. Our best and nearest option. 1726 El Camino Real, Redwood City. In the of "Beverages & More". 
* Fiesta Latina. Another good option. 591 Escuela Avenue, Mountain View.
* Mercado Marlen. Basically mexican market but we can find something there. 2350 California St, Mountain View. In the front of Albertson's of San Antonio Shopping Center.

Inca Kola, Cerveza Cristal, Pisco?

You can get Inca Kola (bottled in New Jersey but the taste is  almost similar) in most of the Mercados Latinos Nice for US$ 1.7, 2-liter bottle.
We've found Cerveza Cristal (sorry, neither Pilsen or Cusqueña) in "Beverages & more!" of  Redwood City (1745 El Camino Real) for US$ 6, six-pack.
Painfully, Peruvian Pisco is a little bit more hard to find but we saw once in "Trader Joe's" grocery store of San Antonio Shopping Center (Mountain View) a bottle of unknown-brand (neither Ocucaje or Biondi) Peruvian Pisco for almost US$ 20. Your option is to bring a couple of bottles (one for you and one for us) when you come to Stanford; or, if you want, to buy Chilean Pisco in one of the two stores that we referred before (I know, this is not an option).

Pescado for Cebiche...?

Nice fish (almost fresh) are available in Safeway, Albertson's, Costco and Andronico's. For cebiche, we recommend to use Red Snapper (Safeway or Costco) or Chilean Sea Bass (Andronico's).

Peruvian Restaurants?

There are some options near to Stanford but, please, don't expect something similar to Jose Antonio or Las Brujas de Cachiche in Lima. Somebody told us about a very good Peruvian restaurant in San Francisco but, until today, we've not been able to find it. However, if you want to enjoy something similar to the Peruvian taste, here you have some options (take note, it's not cheap):

* "Estampas Peruanas". Good Aji de Gallina and acceptable (for U.S.) Cebiche. 715 El Camino Real, Redwood City.
* "Estampas Peruanas". Good Pollo a la Brasa (grill chicken) and acceptable Lomo Saltado. El Camino Real, Hillsdale. Four blocks away (to north) of Caltrain Hillsdale station.
* There are some other options in San Francisco but, sincerely, we didn't go. In the next upgrade of this page, we'll include them.

Does anyone of you know an easy way to reduce the phone bills which are threating to ruin us if we call too often our friends and lovers at home?

From the on-campus residences we have affordable rates by using Stanford's Long-distance carrier: approx. US$ 0.61 regular minute and US$ 0.44 at night to Lima. However, the best option is to use calling cards or prepaid cards (US$ 10 and US$ 5) that you can buy in the liquor stores. There is one of them (owned for friendly Arab guys) between Showers Dr. and California St., San Antonio Shopping Center, Mountain View. We've found there that Union California, UNI Latino or UNI World are the best choices to Peru.

The last chance, and at least the cheapest one for you, is the collect call by using Peru-Directo of Telefonica 1-800-579-0121.

Where is the Consulado del Peru in the Bay Area ?

In downtown San Francisco:

870 Market St, Suite 1067
San Francisco, CA 94102
Tel. (415) 362-5647/3262/5185
Fax (415) 362-2836
e-mail: conpersfo@aol.com

Office Hours: Monday-to-Saturday from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. Ask for Isabel Canedo de Guerra, Consulate Officer.